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Operations director vs chief operating officer

The differences between operations directors and chief operating officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an operations director, becoming a chief operating officer takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a chief operating officer has an average salary of $136,604, which is higher than the $104,050 average annual salary of an operations director.

The top three skills for an operations director include customer service, continuous improvement and oversight. The most important skills for a chief operating officer are healthcare, customer service, and oversight.

Operations director vs chief operating officer overview

Operations DirectorChief Operating Officer
Yearly salary$104,050$136,604
Hourly rate$50.02$65.67
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs114,993128,993
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age4452
Years of experience6-

What does an operations director do?

Operations directors oversee all company operations. They have the power to set the direction, change the course of the organization, and reform strategies to ensure efficiency in how the company operates. Operations directors manage business operations effectively by constantly analyzing company data and by anticipating any challenge that may come their way. As such, they make sound business decisions and recommendations that will help strengthen the organization. Operations directors oversee finances, quality control, and even human resources. They ensure that all aspects of the business are considered in making business operations decisions.

What does a chief operating officer do?

A chief operating officer, also known as a COO, is a high-ranking official who oversees a company or organization's daily administrative and overall operations. They are typically the second in the chain of command, reporting directly to the company's chief executive officer, also known as a CEO. Among their duties include developing strategies and guidelines, reviewing reports, performing assessments, and implementing the company's policies, standards, and regulations. Additionally, they lead and empower staff to reach goals, helping solve issues and concerns when any arise.

Operations director vs chief operating officer salary

Operations directors and chief operating officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Operations DirectorChief Operating Officer
Average salary$104,050$136,604
Salary rangeBetween $65,000 And $164,000Between $81,000 And $229,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAJersey City, NJ
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew Jersey
Best paying companyAirbnbBaker McKenzie
Best paying industryFinanceManufacturing

Differences between operations director and chief operating officer education

There are a few differences between an operations director and a chief operating officer in terms of educational background:

Operations DirectorChief Operating Officer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Operations director vs chief operating officer demographics

Here are the differences between operations directors' and chief operating officers' demographics:

Operations DirectorChief Operating Officer
Average age4452
Gender ratioMale, 70.6% Female, 29.4%Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage10%12%

Differences between operations director and chief operating officer duties and responsibilities

Operations director example responsibilities.

  • Manage KPI reports from all warranty companies to ensure increasing sales and productivity.
  • Spearhead governance, security and compliance initiatives to achieve SOX and PCI compliance.
  • Manage a PMO style team to implement any changes across the global contact centers.
  • Develop all marketing strategies and materials as well as personally managing key OEM and national accounts.
  • Manage multiple vendor relationships for RFP development and review, contract negotiation, contract terms management, and accounts payable review.
  • Provide leadership to manufacturing organization by aligning overall KPIs to achieve near term and long term business objectives.
  • Show more

Chief operating officer example responsibilities.

  • Manage the RFP process and present investment packages to local and regional lenders to procure acquisition and long term debt financing.
  • Develop and integrate care services, achieve and maintain JCAHO accreditation.
  • Attain ISO registration, resulting in excellent documentation and adherence to operational and administrative process controls.
  • Manage the implementation of a new supply base global ERP system that reduce inventory and enable just-in-time delivery.
  • Establish, manage and coordinate activities of this start-up management company specializing in turning around trouble health insurance plans.
  • Manage all financial functions including controlling/accounting, board and regulatory reporting, treasury and cash management, and asset/liability management.
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Operations director vs chief operating officer skills

Common operations director skills
  • Customer Service, 12%
  • Continuous Improvement, 7%
  • Oversight, 7%
  • Patients, 6%
  • Project Management, 5%
  • Human Resources, 4%
Common chief operating officer skills
  • Healthcare, 11%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Oversight, 7%
  • Financial Management, 7%
  • Business Strategies, 6%
  • Human Resources, 6%

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